The Biodiversity Assessment Method was established in 2017 under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. A review of the method was undertaken in 2018, which focused on improving the method's usability. This led to the release of the Biodiversity Assessment Method 2020.
A statutory 5-year review of the Biodiversity Assessment Method, as required under section 6.9 of the Act, commenced in 2023.
The Minister for Environment has released the Biodiversity Assessment Method 5-year review report. The review report makes 32 recommendations aiming to improve efficiency, simplify processes, and provide support for implementation of the method.
A consultation paper was released in July 2023, with public submissions invited for 4 weeks. Forty-two submissions were received from a range of stakeholders, primarily ecological consultants and local government. A submissions report has been released summarising key issues identified by stakeholders. The department thanks all stakeholders who made a submission.
These submissions, along with input from government experts and general feedback received from various channels over the last 5 years of operation of the method, have informed recommendations of the review.
Next steps
The department will begin to implement recommendations over the coming months. Further public consultation will be undertaken before any changes are made to the Biodiversity Assessment Method.
